Thursday, August 25, 2011

Chicago | take twelve

Portillo's | Restaurant

A great place to have a Chicago-style hot dog, or a Chicago dog. On a poppy seed bun with yellow mustard, chopped white onions, sweet pickle relish, tomato slices, a dill pickle, peppers and celery salt. The Chicago dog does not have ketchup on it! And they are oh so good. They also have delicious Italian beef sandwiches, chicken sandwiches and super thick milkshakes. Portillo's has locations all over Chicagoland and many are paired with Barnelli's Pasta Bowl. They offer Italian homestyle cooking with many pasta options and really good salad combinations. And the chocolate cake is not to be missed. It is incredibly rich and delicious. With the two paired together there are many options for diners. Each location has a different design theme based on a decade. Watching the employees expedite orders is an impressive process involving them writing your order on a paper bag and saying your order over a microphone where somehow the line cooks hear the orders and make your food. At the far end of the counter someone else gathers your order based on the paper bag with your order, usually in chicken scratch, written on it. It really is something impressive to watch. Their drive through is also expedited differently when it becomes really busy and employees can be found outside taking orders and calling them in; and other employees collecting money and then running orders out to cars. It allows more cars to get through the drive through and not have one order hold up the cars behind them.

INFO | Portillo's

Portillo's Chicago Dog | Photo courtesy Jeff Eats Chicago

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Nashville | take one

Which Wich | Sandwich Shop

I know this is a chain, but I recently experienced Which Wich for the first time outside of Nashville and thought it was a great place. Anytime I get a Sharpie and get to write all over a paper bag with what I want to eat is a great time. Basically you select which type of meat or filling you want and then select that number paper bag. From there you select your bread, toasted or not, what size and any extras. There are then cheeses, mustards, spreads & sauces, dressings and veggies to select. Don't forget your name at the bottom! And then they build it! I hear their milkshakes are phenomenal and they have great cookies too. I also noticed that their kids menu was voted one of the best in the country, always good to please picky eaters when they get to pick whatever they want! I noticed that crust less was even an option. I am so thankful for being introduced to this place and hope that someone opens a franchise near me soon.

INFO | Which Wich

The Which Wich Sandwich Bag

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Chicago | take eleven

Gino’s East v Lou Malnati's | Pizza Restaurant

Okay, there is much debate about deep dish pizza in Chicago. Which is the best? Which is the original? Which layer is the cheese on? Where should I eat?

The two that I have found to be the best tasting and most authentic are Gino's East and Lou Malnati's. Both offer many locations in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs, plus both offer the option to ship nationwide. Deep dish pizza is unique in that it places the ingredients backwards than a typical thin crust pizza, ending with sauce on top.

Gino's East was founded by two taxi drivers and a friend who were frustrated with Chicago rush hour traffic. They decided to open a pizzeria off of Michigan Avenue and Superior Street. The recipe is the same as when the pizzeria opened in 1966 and it became a legendary place with locals and tourists alike. From the secret recipe for the crust to the vine ripened tomatoes the pizza is always delicious. Many locations are covered in customer's graffiti on the walls drawn with Sharpies. Some even allow you to continue to write on the walls and add to its history.

Lou Malnati, the founder of the namesake restaurant, worked in the first Chicago deep dish pizza restaurant, which is where he learned the secrets of this delicious food. He then took his knowledge and opened his own pizzeria in 1971. Since then 32 locations have opened creating all pizzas by hand using only the finest ingredients. Lou Malnati's places mozzarella directly on the dough, which has been rolled out by hand and placed up the sides of the pan. Then additional ingredients are added, finishing with sauce and a sprinkling of cheese and spices. Their sauce uses only the finest tomatoes and they meet with the growers each year to select the tomatoes to be used in the sauce.

Both are going to provide great deep dish pizza experiences and are worth the 45 minute wait for them to prepare and cook your pizza.

INFO | Gino's East
INFO | Lou Malnati's

Gino's East Deep Dish Pizza
Lou Malnati's Deep Dish Pizza